Wheel.



J. HOLMES. WHEEL. rum-r1011 nun MAY 14. mo.

Patented Dec. 13,1910.

t r J a.

To alt whom may concern:

Be'it known-that I, Josnrn W. I'IOLMES,- hfcitizen of'tlie United States, anda resi-- dent'of Galesburgin the county of Knox JOSEPH. w. HOLMES; or GALESBURG, rumors fWHEEL.

' Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 13,1910.

App lication filed Mair 14, 1910.' Serial No. 561,463.

and State of Illinois, have invented a new and usefulWheel, of which the following is a specification.

-The in'ventionhas relation to ground or supporting-wheels, the particular classof which will be hereinafter more fully -tlisclosed.-

An object of the invention is to provide aground or supporting-wheel which requires -.1 1o axle, which is devoid of both hub and spokes or the like, and which when employed as a caster-wheel, a'shereinafter described,

will he free from certain objectionable features heretofore'present in such wheels.

It is another object to provide a ground or sup 'iortingwheel the weight-bearing surface of which-is provided-by a bearing-ring or annulus-supported substantially on its periphery; I

:It is also an obi ect to provide a-great weight-bearing surface.

Another ob ect is to minimize the friction" CQfited by the'vehicle or. other means supported by the wheel 01'. wheels;

To providea wheel which .willpractieally eliminate skidding); constitutes another object. y A' still further object is to' ada )t't'he im; provements to devices differing argely in their character and application, as. will presently be set forth.

To provide a wheel which, when used as a Vehicle wheel, will obviate much of the jarring and jolting occasioned by ordinary types ofwheels constitutes another object.

That the mechanism constituting the means above recited be durable, strong and simple, is a prime requisite, and to provide such means for ca'rryingout these ends constitutes still another object. a

Minor objects will be in p'art'obvious and in part pointed out.

I desire that the terms ground wheel and supporting wheel? herein used be understood to comprehend onlyl suchwheels as are adapted to roll upon t e ground or other surface and to support'or carry the vehicle,'bracket,' table or other thing which surmounts them-in other words, such wheels as carry the weight of the article or thing which is above them.- The invention does not comprehend such wheels as are j ourn'aled upon -a shaft or anyaxle, as idler wheels, pulley wheels, and the' like.

Mechanism showing the preferred strut.

tural features, arrangement. connection and the mutual relationship of the several ele-i ments, constituting I my improvement, is

illustrated inthe accom 'ianying drawing, in

which v e i Figure 1 is a side elevation showing an arched bracket supported on a wheel em bodying my. improvements; Fig 2-, a front elevat on; F 1g. 3, a transverse vertical central section in the line3-3 ilrFig, 2; a1id Fig; '4, a longitudinalvertical .centralsecthe entire wheel. Figs. '2,'3, a1'1dl are sllghtly enlarged wlth reference to Fig. 1.. Like reference numerals refer to the same part in the different figures of the drawing.

" 2 indicates a ring or annuluswhieh for the purposes hereof I shall termthe rim, in-'" asmuch as it"performs at least one, of the functions of an ordinary wheel-rim z'. e. it supports the tire. It is provided with a centrally disposed; annular race' or channel 3, and ateach side thereof and adjacent thereto itis' grooved to provide tire-channels 4., Both' the race .and the tire-channels may be of any desired and suitable configuration. 'I have shown the run as composed of two like parts, 2 and 2 :said parts secured firmly. together by bolts 5 and nuts 6. Any other securing means may. be employed if preferred. It will be evident also that.

the rim, may be integral if preferred, and

.the supporting band 7 now to be'de'seribed slipped thereover,in which event the rela-' two sizes must be slightly altered from.

those shown in the drawing herewith. Said supporting-band comprises an annulus haw mg an internal annular channel or race 93 confronting or opposed to the race 3. While- I have illustrated the band 7 as integral it will be apparent that it may be transversely divided if found preferable in certain cases,

and the ends united in any suitable manner.

In the drawing I -have shown it as restrained from lateral movements by shoulders14 risingfrom the race 3. I

Dis osed in the double race 3-.-9 a'rebearing be Is 10 which perform their usual functions of minimizin friction. Rollers may be substituted there or, and excellent results produced, and itlmay be here stated thatfor .71 t -i0i'1;-in' the 'line 4----l in Fig. 3, but showing.

certain uses and purposes, as in buildingmoving apparatus, neither balls nor rollers are absolutely essential.

11-711 indicate tires seated in the channels4; Being in pairs, they are preferably .solid rather than pneumatic or hollow tires, and'not'onlyare they relatively inexpensive,

but alsofltherev is les'sftire-friction, and the danger 'of lateral "skidding is practically elimi ated. Tiresother than rubber, which are indicated, maybe substituted therefor; indeed, the tires lIl'Sll'lLlI wheels, as casters,

. may be turned from the same piece of wood as is the r1m",'and be integral therewith.-

Other than to state that the vehicle-frame, caster-frame,bracket, or'other thing to which 'th'e supporting-band isto be attached, and

"-'band'7, the race-walls of which at its upper :-these upon the walls 'of the race '3 in the difliculty has been experienced by'reason of:

portion will bear upon the balls 10 and rim 2.

In cotton and woolen mills, in upholstery shops and factories, large dress-making and tailoring establishments, laundries etc. much threads, lint, clippings and the like collect- ;ing-on, the axles and in the bearings (if the casters, (largenumbers of which are employ'e d,) where such waste, especially when saturated with the lubricating oil, forms a mass of such tenacity, that the casters become useless until cleaned, and as this cleaning operation is a daily necessity and is diflicult to'perform, IIlllCh'lfibOP-fllld expense are'entailed. A common method of cleanin such casters has been to burn ofl the threa s and oil accumulation by means of a blast-lamp,

which soon destroyed the casters. The wheel above described being devoid of both axle and bearing, this fault and expense are overcome.

I do not deem it necessary .to enter more fully into a discussion or recital of the many purposes to which my improvementsmight' be put or for which they are adapted.

To a certain extent the advantages of the present invention have been set forth in connection with'thes'tatement of the objects of the invention and the detail description thereof;. concisely stated, however, the leading benefits secured thereby are as follows First: The bearing is on'the wheel-rim in stead of on a spoke-supported hub. Second:

There is no axle to break or spring. Third: Danger of a hot box or journal is eliminated. Fourth: Friction is reduced to a minimum. Fifth: Danger of skidding is practically eliminated. Sixth: Cost of maintenance is reduced. Seventh: As a caster-wheel it eliminates the greatest item of expense, and its mode of operation is much superior. Ei htht It is adaptable for a great diversity of uses. "Ninth: Itseldom.

requires lubrication. Tenth: VVhenused as a vehicle tire the double-bearing will cause it to run much smoother thandoes' a singlebearing wheel, especially over, inequalities ficing any of the advantages thereof, it is susceptible of various changes in details of construction. the cotiperat1on',-the combination, 'and' the mutual relationship ofither parts. I

I claim as my 1nven't1on':

rim anda stationary bandexterior thereto.

2. A ground wheel comprising a'sectional rotatable rim and a stationary supportingb'and exterior thereto.

a 3. In combination in a ground wheel, a ro- 1'. A ground wheel comprising a rotatable tatable rim, a stationary supporting band" exterior thereto, and 'ba-lls interposed between said band and r1m.

4. A wheel comprising a "r m provided with a race and a tire channel in it's-periph- Y cry, a supporting-band exteriorto sai'd rim and providedwlth an interior'race, frictionreducing means disposed infsaidraces, and

a tire disposed in said channel.-

5. A wheel comprising a rim provided with a race and-a tire-channel at each side thereof, saidrace and channels disposed in the periphery of said-grim, a supporting: band exteriorto saidrlin and provided w th an nterior-race, frllction reducmg means disposed in said races, and tires disposed in said channels. v v V '6. A- ground-wheel COIIIPI'1S1I1% an annular rim provided with aperlphera race, there being shoulders rising therefrom at each side thereof, a stationarysupporting band disposed between said shoulders, and friction-reducing means disposed in said race between said rim andband.

In witness w-hereof I hereunto subscribe my name this'llth dayof May, 1910, at Gale'sburg, Illinois.

JOSEPH. W. HOLMES.

Witnesses:

WEBB A, HnnLocKER,

M. -RIdHARDS. 

